European Hackerspace Tour

Wow! What a response we received on our Calling European Hackerspaces post! First off, thank you for such a warm welcoming to your hackerspaces. It looks like HaD is going to have to be way more active in touring and profiling hackerspaces!

Now unfortunately we’re just not going to have time to visit all of the ones suggested, but we’ve outlined a few of the ones we definitely want to check out!

We created a Google spreadsheet to help do this, so if your hackerspace has been mentioned, OR if it happens to be very close to the others and you really want us to come, please fill out some contact info on the spreadsheet so we can setup a time to visit! If you don’t want to put contact info in a shared document, send an email to the tips line instead with the subject [European Hackerspace Tour]. Because its unlikely our trip will coincide with any open nights, we’d love (need) to have someone to show us the space at potentially odd hours!

I will be writing an individual post for each hackerspace tour with lots of photos and details on all the juicy projects you guys are working on. And if we have time, we might even film the tour!

Once again, thank you for the amazing response and we can’t wait to meet all of you in person!

We have also built a electricity trap for american travelers! Just out of mischief we have doubled the voltage in order to fry the devices of these people. Unfortunately nowadays the stuff comes from China and is multi voltage range so this plan does no longer work. Still, it will kill you twice as fast!

Actually it is the Chinese that build a way more efficient electricity trap, the voltage over there is 240V nominal and American plugs fit nicely in the default catch-all power sockets.

And yeah, the voltage is not really a problem nowadays, plugs are a bigger problem, fortunately the entire region you cover use Shuko power plugs (although Belgium/France has a weird variation on it with a large pin for ground inside the power socket.)

In none of the visited countries this is a real problem. You seem to have a very distorted view of Europe which in in fact a very very much more safe place than the United States. For starters for example because there are not so much guns around.

Seemingly our urban areas are much safer when it comes to theft from cars compared to US urban areas. Only Amsterdam almost comes close to the hot spots in California.
Again it is a matter of not being a twat and you’ll be fine.. Not you obviously, but anybody in general.

I’ve witnessed more theft in Pittsburgh PA out of cars in a supposedly ‘nice’ neighborhood than I have here in the Netherlands. Again, don’t be stupid (as a universally general rule) and you’ll be fine.

“I said ‘in europe’ and not ‘europeans’.”
It doesn’t really matter what you said, no matter how bigoted.
What you said was equal to claiming you need body armour when going abroad to the US because you are likely to get shot.
The last thing you want to do, any were, is cling on, white knuckles style, to you lady-purse for dear life. That’s just like shouting “victim” as loud as you could. In fact, if you do that, I’d probably mug you for educational purposes.

I’d certainly advise non-US people visiting the US to not say the truth else they might be physically assaulted.
Best to pretend you have limited mental capacity and are religious and straight and always looking to get married and hating ‘socialism,’ to blend in. /s

The original reason I made my original remarks is because if you go on a tour of hackerspaces you might carry along some devices in the car, stuff you might not normally drag along on your person, and if you do you should simply be aware that cars are not a safe storage in the netherlands/germany/belgium cities.
I’d also like to point out that those cities have signs on the damn street pointing that out, although they probably are not in english. And they pass out flyers warning of it to the population. And statistics confirm it. so much for me being bigoted – and you not being delusional..
I have no idea if it’s the same in california, and frankly that’s not really relevant.
I’d say the same to ohians going on a tour through detroit or some such.

Indeed, but in certain parts of the world you expect it sooner, so my point is that you should be aware that in terms of small-time crime like theft and pickpocketing europe is not as safe as you might think if not familiar.
I would not worry too much about violent crime though in western europe. (Assuming you aren’t openly gay in nighttime in secluded spots in the immigrant filled cities.)

In most of Japan there would be no issue. I saw quite a lot of iPhones barely hanging on to the back pocket.
There are a few hotspots in Tokyo (foreigners, you guessed it) but other than that it’s incredibly safe, w.r.t. stealing.
Just don’t have a heart attack or something there, nobody knows CPR.

is your trip to Frankfurt to the Airport only?
you could come by our Hackerspace in Wiesbaden which is right next to Frankfurt if you still have time. we’d love to welcome you as guests in our little hackerspace

Never mind the fact that we are all Huns in “Europe”, and will knife you as soon as look at you. How about the fact that Europe is way bigger than your suggested tour. What about Spain, France Italy, Greece, united kingdom (no its not the same as England).

Its hardly a European tour.

But seriously, don’t go out late at night, don’t let anyone hear your accent, don’t go into a store on your own, and never leave your vehicle unattended, and never ever accept a free drink… Oh yeah, and our mains runs 10Hz slower, just to deliberatly mess with your stuff, a stepdown transformer won’t help.

The story that americans are somehow at risk of assault in europe is a US urban myth. No need for stickers with the canadian flag, people like american individuals, just not their government’s policies.
But yes the mains is another frequency and 230v, and no doubt people will soon call me racist for saying that…

As it looks like you want to go by car, here are some tips for you from the land of Autobahn. ;)
Diesel and gas is cheaper in Germany than in Belgium or the Netherlands. Credit Cards accepted in all major gas stations.
Not EVERY Autobahn is without speed limit! If you DO want to go 150+ mph, try the A31 from Enschede via Leer to Oldenburg. The emptiest autobahn in Germany and without speed limits.
If you want to rent a car, keep in mind that everything is smaller in Europe. If you rent a Van like a VW Transporter you might run in problems at some parking garages. You are better of with an estate, small SUV or a compact. I recommend Buchbinder.de as a car rental service.
Last but not least… DON’T try to smuggle dope. You will not be checked right at the border, but you might get checked in the vicinity (around 60 miles) and a packed rented car full of bearded guys going from the netherlands to germany? Dead Giveaway ;)
jk, have fun in Europe! Enjoy some beers, fries, waffles, bread, sausages and hacks.

Ah, If you’re going to Worm in Rotterdam, it might be a good idea to walk a bit and go to Stadslab Rotterdam (www.stadslabrotterdam.nl) . It’s almost around the corner, and you’re always welcome to drop by!

“OR if it happens to be very close to the others and you really want us to come”

Everything is close in the Netherlands, at least in distance, not in time.
During weekdays avoid driving down the highways at around 17.00h as people tend to crowd together there all at once, mostly near the big cities. Unless you love driving slowly in the rain. If you do, wave and honk to everyone, they will love you.